


In Capable Hands

by Larkawolfgirl



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Chronic Pain, Established Relationship, M/M, Massage, Suggestive Themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-07-18 01:18:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16107779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larkawolfgirl/pseuds/Larkawolfgirl
Summary: Gladio gives Noctis a massage when his back starts acting up.





	In Capable Hands

**Author's Note:**

> For Gladnoct week day 4's prompt chronic pain.

The Rock of Ravatogh is  _ tall _ . So much taller than it looked from below. Noct isn’t about to give up, but the push is getting harder the longer they go. He never walks with perfect posture as is, and now, with the continual strain to push onwards, his back is bowed low. Every few steps he catches himself wincing out loud which gains him worried looks from his friends.

“I’m fine,” he says even as he takes the opportunity to catch his breath.

Ever observant, Ignis asks, ”Is your back acting up again?”

Noctis has had back pain for nearly as long as he can remember. For the first few months after he was attached by the Marilith, the doctors doubted he would even be able to walk again. It was only through intense rehab that he was able to push through the painl. As time passed, walking became easier, to the point that now he is fine for the most part, but every once in a while he still gets pain flare-ups, especially when he over exerts himself like this. Still, he has learned to live with it. “Nothing I can’t deal with.”

“No,” Gladio says stepping in to block his path, “don’t you go pushing yourself.” He looks over at the other two. “Let’s take a break.”

“Certainly.” Ignis adjusts his glasses. “I could use with a rest myself.”

“Yeah, man, I’m totally beat too,” Prompto says, shifting from one leg to the other in a way that doesn’t look one bit tired.

“Uh, thanks,” Noctis mutters. He hates when he has to be a burden on the rest of them.

They find some sizable rocks nearby, and Gladio chooses to sit right beside him.

“Hey, princess, you doing okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You don’t have to be, ya know?”

“Oh, really?” he scoffs. “Cause what? We’ll trek all the way back down the volcano? Cause that will be so much better than the trip up.”

“Naw.” Gladio stretches out his arms. “No use heading back down when you’ve gotten this far. But, your boyfriend is here to be of assistance.”

Noctis smirks. “And what kind of assistance is that?”

Gladio smirks right back. “A massage. I know you love these magic fingers.”

Noctis gulps at his words. He’s never liked strangers touching him, so professional massages are a huge no. Besides it unnerving him, the masseuse has always accidentally irritated his past injuries. But Gladio, he has long-since mastered just where and how to touch to minimize his displeasure while increasing the benefits. It isn’t too much of an exaggeration to say he has magic fingers, in massage as well as other things. “You sure?” He glances at the others.

“What embarrassed to show some skin in front of them? Not anything they haven’t seen before, but whatever,” he rolls his shoulders, “I can do it over the clothes too, if you want.”

Why was he taking everything he said dirty? “No, it’s fine,” he says, removing his shirt.

Gladio moves so that he can lie over the rock on his stomach, then kneels beside him. “Iggy, mind handing me the lotion?”

“Sure thing.”

Catching the bottle, he snaps it open and cool liquid is poured onto the bare skin of his back. Immediately after, large, warm hands are rubbing the lotion in. A hum escapes Noctis from this alone. It’s nice and relaxing, just feeling his lover’s hands running over him so smoothly.

“Like that, princess?”

Shit. He’s starting to think Gladio knows exactly what he’s doing. If Ignis and Prompto weren’t there, he’d have no trouble getting some right now. Instead, he’s just being a damn tease, especially when he moves his hands along his sides and wiggles his fingers just under him to hit the front of his hip bones. Noctis shifts, trying and failing, to push his fingers more to the center.

His hands move back up to his shoulders, and kneed in, working at muscles so taught the pressure is an even balance of pain and pleasure. Noctis can’t help the moan he makes as the knots are worked out. 

“Definitely pushing yourself too hard lately. Gotta learn to let go once in a while.”

Yeah, he definitely knows what he’s going. This is the only time he remembers ever hearing someone tell him to relax.

The others are catching on too, it seems, because Prompto giggles. “Yeah, Noct. Just let go. No one’s judging.”

They would like that, wouldn’t they? Prompto actually might. Ignis would surely give him a lecture on decency or something.

Out of spite, he starts to moan more, and when Gladio’s hands reach the small of his back (where his pain is), he really lays it on. Then, something pops, and he lets out a sinful noise that makes his face go instantly red.

Gladio’s hands still, and everyone is silent for a long time. “I think we’re done. Ready to get a move on?”

Noct’s glad his face is hidden from view so that he can recompose himself. “Y-yeah, just give me a sec.”

“Take, uh, all the time ya need buddy,” Prompto chirps, hopping up and fiddling with his camera. 

Ignis follows his lead and pulls out his recipe book. 

Gladio, however, still hasn’t removed his hands. He leans down and whispers low enough for them not to hear, “if you can make it through this and all the way back down, I’ll reward you with a private massage.”

Noct presses his face down into the rock. “You gonna let me just lie there and do nothing?”

Gladio laughs and gives him a smack to the behind. “You’ll be the lord of pillow princesses.” 

“Ha, very funny.” He closes his eyes, trying to focus on the sound of pages flipping and buttons pressing instead of what Gladio’s hands are capable of. There’s no way he’ll make it the rest of the way up, let alone the whole way down, with those thoughts circling his head. After a long minute, he rolls over, then stands and stretches out his loosened muscles. “K, big guy, we better get a move on if we wanna make it back before sundown.”


End file.
